ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry who is among the four main factors of the process launched to convince Taliban for laying down their weapons says direct talks with the militants would start soon.
He told the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs on Tuesday that efforts are underway that all factions of Afghan Taliban are united and direct talks started with them by the end of this month.
While responding to a question as to what would be the next course of action if some factions reject talks, Chaudhry said the Quadrilateral Group of Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United States and China has decided to give the reconciliation process a chance.
Hekmat Khalil Karzai who is another member of the four-nation group had also said in January that the nation should witness a change in two months.
The four-nation proess begun after the visit of Pakistan’s Chief of Army Chief (COAS) General Raheel Sharif to Kabul where he said that Islamabad would join Kabul in action against militant groups not willing to join the peace and reconciliation process.
The agreement to revive stalled peace talks with Taliban was reached during a meeting between President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and Pakistani Prime Minister Mohammad Nawaz Sharif on the sideline of the “Heart of Asia” conference in Islamabad.
For bringing Afghan militant groups to the negotiation table, Islamabad wants Kabul to act against Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Chief Mullah Fazlullah who is responsible for some deadly attacks in Pakistan.
Islamabad claims that Mullah Fazlullah is hiding in Afghanistan. (KP)